Lewis sylvestek



@uitrit fates @anni @ffice LEWIS SYLVESIER, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA. Letters Patent No. 67,684, dated August 13, 1867.

IMPROVED BRICK-MOULD PISTON.

dige dgchnlc referat tu it tlgrse tcttcts @tout mit meltingpot nt the smut.

TO ALL WHOM IT MAY CONCERN:

Be it known that I, LEWIS SYLVESTER, of the city and county of Philadelphia, and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Piston for Brick-Moulds; and I do hereby declare the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference bcin'g'had to the annexed drawings and to the letters of reference marked thereon.

My invention relates to the construction of the piston of a brick-mould which isiised for pressing or delivering bricks in a brick machine; and the object of the inventionis so to make the piston that it canbe expanded laterally and endwisc in order to take up the loss resulting from wear, and at the same time to give a smooth, even surface to the face of the piston which comes in contact wit"1 the brick.

To enable others skilled in the art to make and use my invention, I will proceed to describe its construction and operation.A l

Figure 1 is a plan, broken so as to show part of the face of the piston, and part of the interior.

Figure 2 is a section longitudinally through the contre.

Figure 3 shows a modification of the same design.

A is the body ofthe piston, cast with a stem, a', by which the pressu e of the machine is communicated. B B are portions of the ends of the brick-mould. C C C C are four e pending plates, separated from each other, and leaving ajoint or interstice, d, between. E is the follower, f wrought iron, secured to the body A by the screws-D,"which may be inserted either from the front or bacl of the piston. -The follower E does not quite fill the mould, but a space,g, is left round the edge, into which I -pour Babbitt metal, or some similar hard composition, easily melted. This recess is bevelled or dove-tailed, as shown at g, lso as to retain the metal when once cast in. In iig. 3 is shown the cxpandingplatc C slightly modified, and turned .up at right angles, f

so that the wear is taken altogether by the plate C, instead of by the plate and composition conjointly, as in tig. 2. `The plates C and body A I make of cast iron. If the plates C are' east solid with the body A, the composition metal must thenv be relied upon for sustaining the wear and keeping the piston tight.

The operation of expanding my piston is this: The screws D are removed, and the follower E taken off;A the plates C are then set ont, so as to till the mould, and a piece of hard wood driven into the central opening I-I. The follower is now screwed down and the composition metal poured round so as to fill the space g. Some of it will run down into the spaces d, thus etfcctually preventing the plates C coming together. The piston is now raised above the mould, and thc fillingg filed down so as to present au even surface with the follower. This expanding ofthe piston may be performed just as easily in a false mould made especially for this purpose. Should the corners of plates C become worn, the edges ofthe plates can then -be filed away till the corners are brought up sharp again.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is this:

1. I claim the expanding-plates C, constructed and operating substantially as described.

2. I claim a solid piston, having a recess, g, filled with composition nieta-l, cast in1 for making a closefitting piston, substantially in the manner described.

3. I claim the follower E, surrounded by soft metal g, and secured to the body A, in combination with or without the plates C,'as described LEWIS SYLVESTER.

Witnesses:

EDwD. BROWN, STANLEY C. HrLToN. 

